Whipped Cocoa Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

Steps

1. Prep first: peel the banana, mash half of it in a large bowl and thinly slice the other half; separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, putting the whites in a clean, dry bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt until no streaks of unsweetened cocoa powder remain.
3. To the mashed banana, add the egg yolks, milk, peanut butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
4. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or mixer until they hold soft peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Stir the cocoa-flour mixture into the banana mixture just until no dry flour shows; a few lumps are fine.
6. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in two additions, half then the remaining half, keeping it light and airy.
7. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and brush it with a quarter of the canola oil.
8. Pour about 1/3 cup batter per pancake into the skillet and press a few of the banana slices onto each top.
9. Cook until the edges look set and bubbles form, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook 2 minutes more, until the centers spring back and reach 160°F (71°C).
10. Repeat with the remaining batter and banana slices, brushing the skillet with another quarter of the canola oil before each batch, so all the oil is used across four batches.
11. Serve the pancakes warm, banana side up.